Technology In Our School

At St. Joseph’s School, technology is integrated into all aspects of learning and instruction. It is not a subject to be taught, but a tool to be used to engage productive, independent learners. St. Joseph School’s 1:1 student to technology ratio includes Chromebooks, iPads, and Dell All-in-One touchscreen desktops to provide students and staff the most current digital tools. SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards and Audio Enhancement Systems are also used to enrich learning for students. St. Joseph students are explicitly taught skills pertaining to digital citizenship, including acquiring and evaluating digital content. As students collaborate in a wide variety of learning environments, they are able to obtain and appreciate multiple perspectives. This increases their global awareness and expands instruction well beyond the walls of the classroom. When students are active members in culturally relevant discussions with authentic audiences, they intrinsically gain digital and global stewardship.

Dedicated weekly instruction focuses on a foundational approach to technology use. Younger students are taught the relationship, proper use, and application of various hardware and software computer components, while older students learn the intricacies of more abstract, “behind the scenes” technology concepts. Computer science is woven throughout the technology curriculum, beginning with sequencing with pre-K students and coding, CAD, and additive printing in the middle school. Google Applications for Education support student growth in many technological areas, not limited to: word processing (Google Docs), spreadsheet production (Google Sheets), presentations (Google Slides), website development (Google Sites), form production (Google Forms) and global exploration (Google Earth). This well-rounded approach to technology skill acquisition ensures student flexibility and adaptability in a rapidly growing field.